Tape-printing machine.



A. J. BOHNENGEL.

TAPE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913 1 97,516. Patented May 19, 1914.,

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: B INV'ENTOR.

COLUMBIA FULNOGRAPH CO..WASHINQTON. D. 0,

A. J. BOHNENGEL.

TAPE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111 115, 1913.

1,09'7,5 1 6.. Patented May 19, 1914.

G SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

$0. 40 W a WWW! WWW AL KT W' COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTOFL D. c

A. J. BOHNENGEL.

TAPE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

SUM

S h w WITNESSES:

A. J. BOHNENGEL.

TAPE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

1,0975 1 6. Patented May 19, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' lllm 'lllllm i WITNESSES: INVENT'DR.

A. J. BOHNENGEL.

TAPE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

I l u IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHH' WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGBAPH 50.. wAsmNn'iON. D. c.

ANDREW J. BOHNENGEL, OF TOLEDO, (JHIO.

TAPE-PRINTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,748.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW J. Hoffman- GEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Tape-Printing l /iachine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to apparatus adapted for the printing of measuring tapes, or the like, but not restricted to such use as it may be used in any connection for which it may be adapted or appropriate.

The object of my invention is the provision of an improved apparatus of this character, which adapted to print a plurality of longitudinally-extending rows of figures or measurement designations on paper, cloth or the like, as itis unwound from a roll, slit the material into narrow tape strips, each containing a row of such figures, and then winding the separate tapes in individual rolls, with the measurement designations thereon preferably reading in consecutive order inward from the outer ends of the tapes.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a top plan view of a machine embodying the invention. with a portion of the parts removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof with the impression and sheet guiding rolls and other parts removed. Fig. 2 is an end view of the fraction printing cylinder. Figs. 3 and t are opposite side elevations of the machine, with a portion of the latter broken away. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the tape winding parts, with a few tape rolls thereon. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged end details of the unit and tens cylinder, with portions of the latter broken away. Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged top plan views of end portions thereof, respectively, with associated frame bearings. Fig. 10 is an enlarged elevation of one of the tape winding shafts, with a part broken away. Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged crosssections thereof taken, respectively, on the line and if-00 in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross-section of such shaft with a. tape -end securing clip in position to be engaged over a tape-end around the shaft. Fig. 1a is a perspective view of the spring clip for securing the tape or strip. Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail of a unit printing attachment for use in connection with the fraction printing cylinder, with parts broken away. Fig. 16 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 17 is an enlarged face view of a portion of one of the fraction printing bars of the fraction cylinder, and

18 is a portion of a printed tape.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the opposite side portions of a machine fame, which are rigidly tied together in any suitable manner. Shafts 3, i and 5 are journaled at their ends in suitable hearings in the respective frame sides and are disposed in horizontally spaced relation, as shown, and carry, respectively, what may be termed unit, tens and fraction printing parts.

The unit printing part, which is carried by the shaft 3 and, in the present instance, is the first in order in the direction of feeding of the sheet a, hereinafter referred to, is shown as comprising two spaced disks 6-6, which are fixed to the shaft adjacent to the frame sides, as by set-screws 7 to enable the disks to be rotatably adjusted relative to the shaft, as desired. Two shafts 8-8 are carried by the disks 6 6 in diametrically opposed relation relative to the shaft and have their ends rotatably mounted in bearing openings provided therefor in the disks, whereby such shafts are permitted to revolve about the shaft 3 when the disks are rotated and to have rotary movements about their own axes relative to the disks. Each shaft 8 has a printing cylinder 9 ad justably fixed thereto intermediate the disks 6 by setscrews 10, or in any other suitable manner. The cylinders 9, in the present instance, are provided with a plurality of circumfercntially-extending rows of figures, with the figures of each row, including the unit designations and a naught, running in consecutive order and with the like designations extending in rows longitudinally of the cylinder, as partially shown in the figures. The figures may be provided on electrotype plates which are wrapped around and secured to the cylinders 9, or they may be provided on the cylinders in any other suitable manner.

Mounted on the end of each shaft 8 adj acent to the frame side 1 and without the associated oisk 6 is an intermittent type of spur gear 11, which cooperates with a stationary single-tooth intermittent-type of spur gear 12 that is mounted loosely on the shaft 3 concentric thereto, and is anchored to the frame side 1 by pins 18 (see Figs. 6 and 8), or in any other suitable manner. Each gear 11 has a number of teeth corresponding to the number of figures or designations in each circumferential row on the associated. cylinder 9, anl the outer end of each tooth is concaved to adapt it to cooperate with the stationary gear 12 in a well-known manner to communicate a tenth of a revolution to the gear 11 at each revolution of such gear about the shaft 3, and to cause the gear 11 to stand stationary relative to the disks 6 when the teeth of the 1 gears 11 and 12 are not in mesh. it is thus evident that the longitudlnally-extendmg rows of figures or other designations on the printing cylinders S) are successively brought into printing position as the disks 6 are rotated, a new row of figures on each cylinder being moved into printing position at each revolution of the cylinder relative to the shaft 3.

The shaft carries a pair of spaced disks 1st, which are similar in size and position relative to the frame to the disks 6, and are adjustably secured on the shaft 4- by setscrews 15, or in any other suitable manner. Shafts 1616 are loosely journaled in the disks 1 1- in diametrically opposed relation in the same manner that the shafts S are carried by the disks 6. A printing cylinder 17, which, in the present instance, may be termed the tens cylinder, is adjustably secured to each shaft 16 between the disks 1% and bears numeri ail designations similar to the designations on the unit cylinders 9. Gn the end of each shaft 16 adjacent to the frame side 1 and without the associated disl 1a is loosely mounted a toothed-wheel printing a tape.

to place the desired aperture 20 in register with the screw receiving opening in the wheel 18. This provides a simple form of adjustment for each printing cylinder 17 so that any desired row of designations on the associated cylinder 17 may be placed in printing position relative to the disks 1 l-le. when setting the machine preparatory to For instance, if a sixty yard tape is to be printed the cylinders 17 are adjusted so that the row of sixes on the cylinder will be in printing position, the machine being adapted to print backward from sixty to naught, as hereinafter described.

In order that the cylinders 17 may be shifted to place a succeeding row of designations in printing position at each tenth revolution of the disks 14: I loosely mount a single toothed gear 22 on a stub-shaft 23, which is carried by and projects from the disk let in position for the single tooth 2-1 of the gear to mesh with a tooth of the wheel 18 and impart a tenth of a revolution thereto at each complete rotation of the gear 22. A gear 25 of the intermittent type is also loosely mounted on the associated stub-shaft 23, and is secured to the gear 22 for relative rotary adjustment thereto by screws 26 working through segmental slots 27 in the gear 25 and threading into the gear The gear 25 meshes with a single tooth stationary gear 28, which is mounted on the shaft t and anchored to the frame side 1 by pins 29. The gears 25 and 28 are similar in their action to the gears 11 and 12 of the unit printing means and are adapted to impart a tenth of a revolution to the gear tooth 2d at each complete rotation of the shaft r.

In order to lock each cylinder 17 against turning except when the tooth 2a is in mesh therewith a slide-block 30 is slidingly carried by the associated disk 1 1 for radial movements relative to the wheel 18 into and out of engagement with a recess be ween ad joining teeth, and a pawl 31, which is fulcrumed to the disk 14:, as at 32, works at one end through a portion of the block 30 and has its other end disposed in position to miss the tooth 24, as such tooth revolves with the gear 22, and to be engaged by a tooth or stud 38 projecting from the periphery of the gear 22 at the rear of and in adjacent position to the tooth 24, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The tooth 33 is intended to coact with the free end of the pawl 31 and move it to efiect an outward wheel releasing movement of the block 30 when the tooth 24c is approximately in mesh with a registering tooth of such wheel, and to hold the pawl and block retracted from normal position until the wheel has been moved a sufficient extent by the gear tooth 24 to prevent a reengagement of the block 30 with the wheel recess from which it was withdrawn. WVhen the wheel 18 has been turned sufficiently for the block 30 to register with a succeeding peripheral recess thereof a spring 34: acts on the blockengaging end of the pawl to move the block into locking engagement within such recess. It is evident from the above that at each revolution of the gears 22 and 25 about the shaft a tenth of a rotation is imparted to each about its axis of rotation and that at every tenth revolution of such gears about the shaft 4 each cylinder 17 has a tenth of a rotation imparted thereto about its axis by the engagement of the tooth 2st with a tooth of the wheel 18.

The fraction cylinder, which is adj ustably carried by the shaft 5, comprises, in the present instance, the two spaced disks 35, the peripheries of which are connected in equidistant circumferentially-spaced relation by type bars 36. These bars are preferably of sufficient number to represent the different fractions of a yard or other unit measurement which it is desired to print on the tape strips, and, in the present instance, are shown as being eight in number so that the different eighths of a yard may be designated. The fractions are arranged on the bars in a similar manner to the arrangement of the figures on the printing cylinders 9 and 17, a circumferential row of such fractions being provided for each circumferential row of figures on a cylinder.

Mounted centrally over the shafts 3, 4; and 5 are the impression cylinders 3 4 and 5 respectively, the shaft ends of which are mounted in suitable bearings in the respective frame sides, such bearings being vertically adjustable to permit an adjustment of the impression cylinders relative to the printing cylinders.

Mounted in a frame part 2 at the outer side of the frame side 2 is a drive shaft 38, which carries loose and fixed pulleys 38 and a gear 39. The gear 39 meshes with and drives a larger gear 40 on a superposed shaft -11, upon which shaft are mounted gears 42 and t3 the former forming a part of a train of gears 4d, alternate ones of which are mounted on the shafts 3, at and 5 while the intermediate gears 12 and 4-4: serve as driving and idler gears, respectively. The gear 43 is larger than the gear 42 and meshes with and drives one of a train of gears 415, a portion of which are carried on the shafts with the impression cylinders 3 4? and 5.

T ie sheet a, to be printed and subsequently slitted to form a plurality of tapes is preferably of a width equal to the length of the printing cylinders or at least to the portion thereof having the figures thereon, and feeds from a roll 6, which is mounted on a shaft 46 at the rear end of the machine frame. This shaft has its ends removably mounted in bearing brackets 17 projecting from the rear ends of the frame sides and carries conical clutch members 18 for fitting into the op posite ends of the center opening of the roll and being adjustable to frictionally grip the roll in opposing relation. A brake wheel i9 is fixedly mounted on one end of the shaft 16 and is embraced by an adjustable friction-band 50, the free ends of which are yieldingly connected by bolt and spring means 51, which is adjustable to vary the frictional resistance between the band and wheel. The brake-band 50 is attached to a screw 52 for longitudinal movements therewith, such screw being threaded into the adjacent bracket 47 whereby a longitudinal movement of the screw will effect a longitudinal adjustment of the shaft 16 as it may be desired to adjust the paper roll in one direction or the other to place it in register with the printing cylinders.

The sheet a feeds from a roll Z) over the guide roll 53 at the rear end of the frame, and a guide-roll 5-1 over the impression cylinder 3, after which it passes alternately under the impression cylinders 3 1* and 5 and over intermediate guide-rolls 55, which have their end bearings 56 mounted for vertical adjustment in upper portions of the frame sides. The sheet after passing under the impression cylinder 5 passes over a large guide-roll 57, thence under a guideroll 58, after which it passes between the sets of upper and lower slitting knives 59, which knives are properly spaced to slit the sheet into tapes of proper width. The tapes, or slitted portions 0 of the sheet pass between guides 60 in advance of the knives and thence alternately wind upon upper and lower tape winding shafts 61 and 62, respectively, which are journaled at their ends in an upright frame 68 at the forward end of the main frame of the machine. The alternate winding of the tapes 0 on the shafts 61 and 62, which is best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, enables the tapes to be wound in rolls which do not interfere one with the other and makes such winding practical. This is quite an important feature of the invention as considerable difficulty was experienced in securing an automatic winding of the tapes in separate rolls as the sheet is slit. The guide-roll 54: is carried at its ends by bearing arms 54; which are swingingly attached to frame parts 54* and secured in proper relation thereto by set-screws or in any other suitable manner. It is preferable to dispose the roll 5% over the impression cylinder to cause the sheet a to have a more circuitous course of movement than would otherwise be the case, whereby a slipping tendency of the same relative to the impression rolls is prevented.

The length of the sheet between the impression points of the impression cylinders 3 and 4; and between the cylinders 1 and 5 respectively, must be exactly one-half the length of the unit measurement of the tape being printed, provided two printing cylinders are carried by the unit and tens printing parts, as in the present case, that is, if a yard is used as the unit of measurement the length of the sheet between the impres sion points of adjoining impression cylinders must be exactly one-half yard, and for this reason the guide-rolls 55 are vertically adjustable to lengthen or shorten the sheet loops inter nediatc the impression cylinders, as desired.

The shaft G l which carries the guide-roll 57 has a gear at one end in mesh with the adjacent one of the train of gears 45 and carries a larger gear 66 at each end in mesh with small gears 67 on the respective ends of one of the shafts 68, the upper one, in the present instance, which carry the rotary knives 59, thus communicating rotation to the knives from the train of gears Two belts 69 and 70 connect pulleys at each end of the upper cutter shaft 68 to pulleys 71 on the adjacent ends of the upper and lower tape winding shafts 61 and 62, respectively, to impart tape winding movements thereto.

Each of the tape winding shafts 61 and 62 comprises end sections (Z and e, which are journaled for free rotary movements in the opposite end portions of the bearing standards or frame parts 63 at the forward end of the machine frame, and these shafts are connected when in winding position by an intermediate section f, one end of which is pivoted to the section 6 to adapt the section f to have lateral swinging movements relative thereto, while its other end is intended to fit into a side socket g in the inner end of the section (Z, see Figs. 5 and 10. A collar it is slidingly mounted on the inner end portion of the section (Z, and is adapted to be moved over the adjacent end of the section f when seated within t 1e socket 9, whereby to retain itin such position. A set screw '5 is carried by the collar h and adapted to force a key block j into binding engagement with the end of the shaft section to secure the collar in shaft locking position and also to prevent a relative turning of the sections (Z and The section f upon which the tape strips wind is provided on one side thereof with a longitudinally-extending rib is, which is intended to expand a longitudinally split sleeve Z when slipped lengthwise over the section f with its split portion receiving the rib It, as shown in Fig. 12. The outer or free end of the rib is is preferably of web shape, as shown in Fig. 10, to cause an outforcing or expanding action of the sleeve Z as it is forced onto the shaft with its split portion in register with the rib. The tape strips are intended to wind upon the sleeve Z and when entirely wound to be removed from the shaft with the sleeve. When the sleeve with the tape rolls thereon has been removed from the section f the sleeve contracts to its normal size, thus permitting an easy removal of the tape rolls therefrom. The sleeve Z is shown as being provided at its outer end with an enlargement 4% against which a forked sleeve rem ving tool may be shouldered to facilitate a withdrawal of the sleeve from the shaft. It will, of course, be understood that the free end of the shaft section f is swung laterally upon its pivot relative to the sections (Z and e.

A simple means for securing the ends of the tape strips 0 to a shaft section f or a sleeve Z mounted thereon is to provide a spring clip a, see Figs. 13 and it, for yield ing transverse engagement with the section transversely thereof whereby the tape end is bound to the shaft.

The mechanism employed for inking the )rinting cy inde-rs consis s of an ink founain 7%- of the usual or any suitable type, which is carried by frame part 75 beneath the shaft f. The customary fountain-roll 76 works within the fountain 74:, and its shaft 77, which is journaled at its ends in the ends of the fountain, carries at one end a ratchet-wheel 78 with which a pawl 79 coacts. The pawl 79 is carried by an arm 80 pivotally projecting from the shaft 77 and is connected by a bar 81 to a crank 82 on a shaft 83. This shaft is mounted in the upper portion of tie machine frame and carries one of the idler gears of the train $5 at the end thereof opposed to that from which the crank projects. The arm 89 and bar 81 are adjustably connected, as at 80, to permit of an adjustmentof the throw of the arm 80, as desired. Ateach side of the fountain 7% is mounted an inking roll Selwnich preferably of metal, the shaft S t of each of which is mounted at its ends in end bearings 85, which are vertically movable in guides 86 rising from the respective frame parts 75, such bearings being supported in proper position by adjusting screws 87. A roll 88, preferably of the composition type, is carried at its ends by the upright arms of bell-crank levers 89, and is movable, by rocking movements of such levers, across the top of the fountain-roll 76 and into contact with first one and then the other of the rolls er. The ink is deliverec from the rear roll 8% to the printing cylinders 9 and l? by a roll 90, preferably of the composition type, and the ink is delivered from the forward roll 8% to the type bars 36 on the fraction printing cylinder by another roll 90. The crank-levers 89 are fulcrumed at the respective sides of the machine to the frame parts 75, or any other suitable part, as at 91, and have their for wardly extending arms connected by an ad justable bar 92 to crank-arms 98 on the respective ends of the shaft 5, thus causing the roll 88 to have contact with both distributing rolls 8 1- at each revolution of the crank arm 93.

The shafts 8%, which carry the ink distributing rolls 8%, carry sprocketwheels 94: at like ends thereof, and such wheels are connected by a sprocketchain The rear shaft 84- has a small gear 96 in mesh with the gear 13 for driving the inking means, see Fig. 41:.

if it desired to print ten yard strips, such, for instance, as would be used in connection with the rolling of ribbon bolts, the fraction cylind-r which is carried by the shaft 5, may be used alone in the printing of the same by removing the full yard bar t, see Fig. 2, if the cylinder provided with such bar, and inserting a shaft 100 through registering openings 101 in the disk 35, and mounting on such shaft, intermediate the dislrs the desired number of unit printing wheels or disks 102, which are mounted for axial adjusting movements on the shaft to enable them to be set to suit the widths of the tape strips to be printed. The shaft 101 is intermittently rotated at each revolution about the cylinder axis in a manner similar to the unit printing cylinders 9. F or in stance, a spur gear 103 of the intermittent type, which has a number of teeth corresponding to the unit designations on each wheel 109, coacts with a single toothed gear 104., which is concentric to the shaft 5 and anchored to the frame side 1, as shown in Fig. 2, so that if 1.. wheel 102 contains ten unit designations the shaft 100 and wheels carried thereby will have one-tenth of a rotation imparted thereto at each complete revolution of the shaft 100 about the axis of the shaft 5. It is thus evident that the tirintin device which is carried by the shaft may alone act to print full unit designations up to a predetermined number and also to print the desired unit fractions.

The operation. of my machine is as follows: A roll 6 of paper or other material having been mounted on the shaft 46, the sheet thereof is threaded over and under the guide-rolls and impression cylinders, as indicated in i8 8, and thence between the sets of knives 50, by which latter the sheet is slit into a plurality of tape strips 0. The ends of the tape strips are secured to the sections 7 of the tape winding shafts 61 and 62 around the removable sleeves Z thereon by spring clips *0, which are slipped over the sleeves Z in clamping engagement with the tape ends. The operator before starting the machine sets the cylinders 17 having the tens designations thereon to suit the length of the tapes to be printed, as, for instance, if a tape sixty yards long is to be printed the screws 21 are removed from the wheels 18 and washers 19, and the washers and cylinder carrying shafts 16 are then turned in desired positions to place the row of sixes on each cylinder in printing position, after which the wheels 18 and washers 19 are secured together by the screws 21. Upon a starting of the machine the full yard unit designations are printed on the sheet at each half yard thereon due to the disks 6 being one yard in circumference and the printing cylinders 9 being placed at opposite sides of the shaft 3, the unit designations being consecutively changed at each revolution of the cylinders 9 due to the coaction of the intermittent gears 11 with the stationary single tooth gear 12. The first designation to be printed on the sheet by the cylinders 9, if a sixty yard tape is to be printed, is a cipher, to which is prefixed a 0 by one of the cylinders 17 as the sheet JZISSQS between it and the impression roll i thus noting the 60 designation on the sheet. As the sheet continues over the fraction printing bars 36 the designation is printed under the second 60 to be printed on the tape, and the other desired fractions between the first 00 and the subsequent 59 are printed thereon in proper positions. It will be understood that after the printing of the 60 designations the cylinders 17 will receive a tenth of a turn to move the rows of fives thereon into printing posit-ion due to the backward printing of the tapes, and the cylinders will then remain stationary relative to the disks 1 1- until such disks have made ten complete rotations, or until the sheet has been numbered to 50 when the cylinders 17 will again be partially rotated to move the fours into printing po sition. The purpose of numbering the tapes backward during the printing operation is to cause the tapes when wound to read from their outer ends inwardly instead of from their inner ends outwardly, thus prevei'iting the necessity of rewinding the tapes to enable the starting or unit ends thereof to be fed first into a roll of cloth or other material. The feeding of the tapes into bolt goods in this manner enables the tape to accurately designate the remaining yardage in a bolt after a length of goods has been severed therefrom. The tape strips 0, as they pass from the cutters, alternately wind upon the shafts 61 and 62 in even manner. When tapes of desired length have been wound upon the shafts 61 and 62 the machine is stopped and the shaft sections f are swung outward to facilitate a removal of the sleeves Z and associated tape rolls therefrom. Each sleeve Z contracts upon its removal from the shaft section 7 and permits the tape rolls to freely slide therefrom. This being done the sleeves may be replaced on the shaft sections f preparatory to the winding of another set of tapes.

During the operation of the machine the fountain inking roll 76 is intermittently turned at each revolution. of the shaft 83 due to the connection therebetween, and the roll 88 is moved over the roll 76 in contacttherewith, first in engagement with one and then the other of the rolls 84, which distribute the ink through the rolls 90 to the representative printing parts.

It is evident that I have provided a simple and eflicient machine which is adapted to print a plurality of longitudinally-extending rows of measurements designations on a continuously feeding sheet after which the sheet is severed into tapes, one for each row, and the tapes wound in rolls for future use.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, printing means rotatably carried by said first means for revoluble movements about. its axis, a wheel fixed to said printing means for rotation therewith and having a circumferential series of registering peripheral recesses, a locking member having a tooth normally engaging within a registering recess of said wheel to lock the L0 Ewheel against rotation, and mechanism operwjperipherally spaced printing devices, a toothed wheel able to release said member from looking engagement with the wheel and impart partial rotation thereto when said printing means has turned a plurality of times around its axis of revolution.

2. In a machine of the class described, ro tatable means, a printing member rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis and having a series of disposed circumterentially fixed to said member and having a number of teeth corresponding to the printing devices on said member, means for engaging a registering tooth of said wheel to lock the wheel and member against rotation relative to its carrying means, and mechanism automatically operable to move said locking means to release the wheel and to turn the wheel a predetermined distance each time the printing member has made a predetermined number of revolutions greater than two about its axis of revolution.

3. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing member rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis and having a plurality of peripherally disposed circumferentially spaced printing devices, a toothed wheel fixed to said member for rotation therewith and having its teeth corresponding in number to the printing devices on said member, means for coacting with the wheel teeth to lock it against rotation, and mechanism comprising in part a stationary gear and a pair of coaxial gears operable to release said locking means and impart predetermined rotation to said wheel and member at each of predetermined rotations of the member carrying means, said predetermined rotations being other than successive rotations.

i. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing member rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis, a toothed wheel fixed to and rotatable with saidmember, a lever having a tooth for engaging with a tooth of said wheel to lock it against rotation, means influencing an engagement of the lever tooth with the wheel, and mechanism operable once during each successive set of predetermined rotations of said member carrying means to move said lever to release the locking wheel and at the same time to impart predetermined rotation to such wheel.

5. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing member rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about the axis of said means, a toothed wheel adjustably carried by said member, and means operable during a rotation oi said first means to coact at predetermined intervals with said wheel to impart partial rotation to said member relative to its carrying means.

6. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a member rotatably carried by said means one side of its axis, a toothed wheel mounted for rotary adjustment on a part of said member, a gear rotatably carried by said first means and operable to impart intermittent rotation to said wheel at predetermined intervals, and means operable by rotation of said first means to impart intermittent rotation to said gear.

7. In a machine of the class described, rotary means, a rinting member rotatably carried by said means at one side of its axis, means for locking said member against rotation relative to said rotatable means, a gear carried by said first means and being operable to move said locking means to release said wheel and to impart partial rotation to the wheel about its axis at predetermined intervals, and means automatically operable upon a rotation of said first means to intermittently rotate said gear.

8. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing device rotatably carried by said means at one sid of its axis, and mechanism operable by a rotation of said first means to impart rotation to said device at predetermined intervals, said mechanism being adjustable to change the position of the printing device relative thereto.

9. In a machine of the class described, ro-

tatable means, a member rotatably carried by said means at one side of its axis, a toothed Wheel rotatable with said member, a gear carried by said means at one side of its and operable to intermittently impart rotation to said wheel, a second gear adjustably connected to the first gear in concentric relation hereto, and m ans operable to intermittently rotate said second gear upon a rotation of said member.

10. In a machine of the class described, a unit, a tens and a fraction printing device having; ditlerent arcs of rotation and arranged one in advance of the other and the tens device being adjustable, mechanism for imparting rotation in unison thereto, means for feeding a sheet in contact With said de vices whereby units, tens and fractions are printed in predetermined positions thereon, means for slitting sheet into tapes after being; printed, and means for Winding such tapes in rolls.

11. In a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a stationary gear mounted in coaxial relation to said means, printing means rotatably carried by said first means for revoluble movements about its axis, and mechanism intermediate said gear and printinp; means and operable in conjunction With said to impart predetermined i i-actional rotation to said printing means upon a rotation of said first means, said mechanism being adjustable to adjust the printing means relative to said first means.

12. in a machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing device rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis, a gear fixed to said device, a pair oi? gears rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis, one near having a less number of teeth than the other and coactinp; With said first fixed gear to impart intermittent rotation thereto, and means coacting With the other part of said pair of gears for imparting intermittent rotation thereto upon a rotation of said first means.

18. In a. machine of the class described, rotatable means, a printing device rotatably carried by said means for revoluble movements about its axis and having a toothed part, two gears fixed together and one having a greater number of teeth than the other with the gear having: the lesser number of teeth coacting with said toothed part to impart intermittent rotation thereto, means coacting with the gear having; the greater number of teeth to impart intermittent rotation thereto upon a turning of said rotatable means, and means for locking the printing device against rotation relative to said rotatable means and automatically operable to release the printing device preparatory to rotating of the same by said gears.

14:, In a machine of the class described,

rotatable means, a printing devi 1e rotatably carried by said. means for revoluble movements about its axis and having; a toothed part, two gears lined toeether and one having teeth than a greater number of the other with gear the lesser number of teeth coactiug With d toothed part to impart intermittent rotation thereto, moans coacting with the gear having the greater number of teeth to impart inter-- mittent rotation thereto upon a turning of said rotatable means.

15?. in a machine of the described, rotatable means, a printing novice rotatably carried by said means for revolublo movements about its axis, said device having a pinion, means carried by said rotatable means "for coactiug With said device to lock the same against rotation relative to the rotatable means, gear carried by said rotatablo means and operable to impart a releasing movement to said locking means and to coact with said pinion to impart a fractional rotation thereto and to the device upon a turning of said rotatable means, and means for rotating; said gear upon a turning oi said rotatable means.

16. in machine of the class described, a plurality of rotatable means mounted one in advance of the other, a printing member rotatably carried by each of said means at one side of its axis, said members each having a plurality of rows of cireumferentially extending measurement designations with the rows of one member substantially registering with the rows of another member, means operable to impart predetermined intermittent rotation to each of said members upon a rotation of its carrying means Whereby the figures in the rows oil said members are successively brought into printing position, one member serving to print the units and the other to print the tens of measurement designations on a tape strip.

17. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of printing devices each having intermittently rotatable printing means ivlilich are revoluble about respective axes, said printing means having circumferentially extending rows of measurement designations thereon, separate means operable upon a turning of the devices to impart predetermined intermittent rotation to said printing means whereby said printing devices cooperate to print measurement designations in successive order on a sheet, and means on one of said devices for adjusting the printing means thereof.

18. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of rotatable means mounted in successive relation, a printing member rotatably carried by two of said means for revoluble movements about the axes thercof, each having a plurality of rows of ciroumierentially extending measurement destion designations with such rows substantially registering with the rows of measurement designations on the other of said rotatable means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ANDREW J. BOHNENGEL.

-Witnesses:

C. W. OWEN, F. E. AUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). G. 

